Introduction

Introduction

The overall goal of GILDED was to identify social, economic, cultural and political changes which could help rural and urban households in Europe consume less energy. GILDED was a three year collaborative research project funded through European Union Framework Programme Seven, running from December 2008- April 2012.

Rationale

The focus of the project was on household consumption. In Europe, about 35% of all primary energy use and 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions come from private households. While technological innovations can reduce the energy requirement for specific activities, people still have to choose to consume less. Otherwise, increases in energy efficiency may simply raise demand for energy-intensive products and services. (See publications.)